New Writers Enlisted For "Star Trek 3"

J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay have been set to pen "Star Trek 3" for Paramount and Skydance Productions.

Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman penned the first film, Damon Lindelof joined them for 'Into Darkness'. Now, Kurtzman is bowing out leaving Orci and Lindelof to join Payne and McKay at work on the next installment's script.

All current 'reboot' cast regulars like Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana and Simon Pegg are expected to return

Though untitled and presently unscheduled, there's a big push to have the film ready for 2016 to time with the 50th anniversary of the franchise.

J.J. Abrams will produce but NOT direct, no-one has signed on for that gig as yet but Joe Cornish ("Attack the Block") is said to be the current favorite.

Payne and McKay are upcoming writers who penned the well-regard script "Goliath" which led to them working with Abrams' Bad Robot on a film adaptation of the 2009 graphic novel "Boilerplate".